Ah, the self-described (and aptly named) "Seoul Buffoon" has graced the Korean blogosphere with yet another inane post (see the previous one), full of faulty punctuation, mispellings, and awkward turns of phrase – yet slams the English expat community as being unqualified to have an opinion on the seat switch because otherwise "they wouldn't be teaching first graders grammar."
Mmmm. Lovely. This coming from "a business journalist by profession."
Well, since he saw fit to delete my comment from his site, which was a terse-yet-not-rude response to his post, in which he calls me "one of" the people whom he thinks isn't qualified to do anything other than "teach first-graders grammar", I'll just paste my reposte onto my own humble blog. Since he "removes childish and immature reactions" to his posts and all.
First, I'll say that "teaching first graders grammar" isn't a job for losers, as this "journalist" apparently thinks, and I have great respect for my teachers from E.J. Brown Elementary School, who worked very hard to get the ABC's into my and my classmates' heads without ripping out their hair or developing a drinking problem. Being a first-grade grammar teacher isn't an easy job, and such people shouldn't be disrespected as losers, even if you want to express your obvious disdain for everyone in the teaching profession in Korea.
Yep -- I'm a teacher, but I don't teach English, actually. I teach US History and have lectured on American Culture as well as in Korean Studies; but I guess that doesn't matter, because what I REALLY need is a background in "space science" (what does that mean -- is that like going to "computer school?") should be proffering any opinions about the very Earth-based POLITICS of what's going on in relation to space, right?
Do I need a background in particle physics to discuss my opinion as to who might be more qualified for this mission? Or that secretly sending back sensitive materials to one's own country, in a blatant violation of clearly-defined protocols over there, might be something I deem reasonable grounds for being disqualified from going?
Does that qualify as a "conspiracy theory?" Oh – I should "leave it to the experts" to have an opinion as to who I think is more qualified to go after I personally interviewed one of the actual selected candidates about the specific tests and steps she went through in the selection process? Sure, I might be accused of having a personal bias because I know her, but why do I have to have a degree in the murkily-defined field of "space science" (would that be the theoretical end of string theory, or the more practical end of propulsion systems?) in order to think her to be highly qualified?
And the "experts" did decide – the guy violating the security protocols and who was deemed untrustworthy was demoted to the backup spot.
In the end, the Buffoon suffers from a continued inability to do his homework.
While not an "expert," I've certainly done a lot more thinking about this and expended more mental energy on this subject than he has, and he is certainly in no position to deem my opinion invalid -- his experience as a rhetorically-challenged "business journalist" who stoops to bragging about earning "four times the average salary of an english teacher" notwithstanding. Shall we just whip 'em out on the table and measure?
Someone's got a complex.
Seoul Buffoon -- stop tripping about being a vaunted "business journalist" or, as your profile says -- "Chief Editor of Biz Magazine" -- supposedly earning in the range of 8-12 million won per month, deal with your obvious rage and jealousy issues you have with anyone in the teaching profession, and police your own "childish and immature" diatribes.
And so, I hereby challenge you, Seoul Buffoon -- if you are so proud of who you are and what you do, then what's your name? Which publication(s) do you write for? Any links to anything you've written? You seem to say a lot for a man who won't sign either his name or sterling reputation to what you write.
I happen to know a lot of reporters in Seoul, some of them working in pretty big media outlets, and they'd probably love to hear about salaries in the range of 10 million won per month. Since you "make four times the average salary of an English teacher," right?
So, Seoul Buffoon, my name's Michael Hurt. I teach History and stuff. And I don't make much more than the "average English teacher."
I've called your bluff. Show us your cards. Prove me wrong.
That'd be pretty easy to do, right?
In the meantime, as we await an answer, please, please, please visit his site and let his voluminous and varied posts speak for themselves. I won't even offer any sharp words here -- I think his own writing speaks volumes.
